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New research shows mass-affluent Asian travelers expected to boost the travel industry

Explore mass-affluent Asian traveler trends and preferences from our latest study to better tailor your experiences to this emerging demographic.

author
Greg Schulze

The growing Asian middle class is expected to increase to 3.5 billion people and make up two-thirds of the global middle class by 2030 according to the World Economic Forum. To help you tap into this booming Asian market, we recently commissioned new research in partnership with Atomik Research, revealing invaluable insights on the latest Asian travel trends.   

 

The study surveyed 4,000 mass-affluent (middle class with disposable income) respondents across key Asian countries — including China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam — to help you better understand how to reach and engage this growing demographic of travelers. 


1. Inflation isn’t slowing down Asian travelers


A particular area of interest we investigated was the impact of rising inflation in Asian countries on travel. 

 

Despite economic challenges, enthusiasm for travel remains high across Asia, as 81% of respondents to our study claim travel is still a priority despite inflation. For many, travel is more important than material goods, with 39% saying they’ll prioritize travel over other major purchases like new cars, home improvements, or electronics. 

 

Travelers also plan to dedicate nearly a quarter of their income to travel over the next 12 months, with much of that budget focused on travel experiences like hotels and excursions. 


81% 

of Asian travelers will continue to prioritize travel despite inflation



Though inflation concerns are not affecting Asian travelers’ desire to travel, deals are still essential to stay competitive since 75% of our respondents say they’ll still seek deals, discounts, or packages. Whether you’re a hotel considering our Members Only Deals or an airline that wants to level up your loyalty program, offering tailored discounts and inflation-friendly deals can tap into a ready and eager audience.

2. Asian travelers are trending toward multi-destination and long-haul adventures


We found that long-haul travel is increasingly popular among Asian travelers, with Japan, the United States, Canada, France, South Korea, Australia, and Germany rounding out the most popular global destinations for the demographic. In fact, in our study, more than half (51%) say they plan to visit a country in Western Europe, and 46% say they plan to visit North America within the next 12 months.

 

We saw significant variation in trip length and number of destinations when drilling down by region. Most respondents from India say they plan to visit five or more destinations, while those in Singapore, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam plan to visit four or fewer.




51%

of Asian travelers plan to visit a country in Western Europe and 46% plan to visit North America in the next 12 months

72%

of Asian travelers use apps like Expedia when booking


Clearly making the most of their trips, respondents in India, on average, reported their next international trip will be a whopping 14 days over five destinations, compared to Vietnam’s eight days over four destinations.

 

To capitalize on this emerging demographic of travelers, it’s essential for travel businesses to appear where it matters. Visibility boosters, marketing solutions that can help your services get seen by travelers, are a great way to stand out from competitors, including features like our Flights Sponsored Listings for airlines or Accelerator for hotels.   




3. Asian travelers use a combination of travel agents and travel platforms to book


Asian travelers are seeking curated, well-planned experiences, according to our data. More than one in three of our study respondents rely on travel agents, while the majority (72%) say they use apps like Expedia when booking.  

 

Here’s what that looks like broken down:


70%

use apps to book flights

73%

use apps to book hotels

52%

use apps to book activities

41%

use apps to create itineraries


Loyalty programs continue to be a significant draw for travelers, with 86% respondents confirming they are members of a loyalty program (either airline, hotel brand, financial institution, or online travel agency). You can draw in loyal travelers by promoting perks in their content and channels, alongside offering exclusive discounts, perks, and points for loyal travelers throughout their booking, with programs like Member Only Deals and VIP access.

4. Personalizing the travel experience offers new opportunities for attracting Asian travelers


As the number of Asian travelers increases, their influence on global travel trends will only grow. Despite the desire to find inflation-busting deals, according to our research they’re also interested in premium experiences:

 

  • 53% were interested in luxury amenities
  • 52% were interested in experiential excursions
  • 40% were interested in cultural immersion
  • 39% were interested in guided tours
  • 31% were interested in hotels with a Michelin chef

Over half of Asian travelers are interested in booking luxury amenities and experiential excursions



The expectations for accommodations among Asian travelers vary by country, but common threads emerged in our study, including amenities like complimentary transportation (91%), bottled water (90%), and toothbrushes (87%). Travelers from India and Indonesia place more importance on complimentary breakfast, shampoo and conditioner, and transportation. 

 

This opens the door for travel businesses to create standout offerings that cater to the Asian traveler’s desire for unforgettable experiences. With these newfound insights, partners can tweak their targeting based on shifting Asian preferences, allowing them to better serve travelers in the region. They should ensure that the amenities and experiences they offer are well advertised and up to date in their listing, so that their target audience have all the information they need to make a decision.



5. Advertising to Asian travelers early in the planning journey is key


Asian travelers are open to inspiration, with 30% indicating they are undecided about their destination before booking a trip.

 

Expedia Group’s travel media network leverages first-party data to offer custom advertising strategies. These data-driven insights allow brands to create targeted campaigns that resonate with travelers when they are most open to inspiration and influence. This approach not only enhances engagement but also improves the chances of guiding travelers' destination choices effectively. There has never been a better time to start targeting the rapidly growing Asian travel market. 



Looking for more insights?

Explore more of our latest research into how travelers discover, plan, and book their trips around the globe.

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 A photo of Aditi Mohapatra, Vice President, Global Social Impact & Sustainability, Expedia Group

Greg Schulze

Chief Commercial Officer, Expedia Group

 

Greg is Expedia Group’s Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing global supply and a growing advertising business. He leads teams responsible for relationships with travel partners, ensuring Expedia Group travelers have access to more than three million lodging properties, airlines, activities, rental cars, cruises, and more. He has a long history with the company, holding various leadership positions for strategy, commercial, operations, and analytics. Prior to Expedia Group, Greg led pricing strategy for American Airlines.

 

In 2023, Greg was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. He also serves on the executive committee for the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the board of directors of Traveloka. He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina. He embraces a global perspective, having lived and worked in North America, Asia, and Europe.



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*Except where noted, all on-page data sourced from Expedia Group, Mass-Affluent Asian Traveler Trends Study, 2024

Expedia Group commissioned Atomik Research to conduct a survey of 4,000 mass affluent adult consumers throughout China (n=800), India (n=800), Indonesia (n=800), Vietnam (n=800), and Singapore (n=800). The margin of error for the overall sample is +/- 1.6 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. The margin of error for country-specific data points within each of the five markets is +/- 3.5 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between August 30 and September 10, 2024. The sample consists of adults who are traveling or are considering traveling within the next 12 months and who have an income of at least +/- 10% of the mean income of their home country. All participants could access English, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and simplified Chinese translations of the online questionnaire. Atomik Research, a part of the 4media group, is an independent market research agency.

 

The sample of participants in China reported their age to be between 18 and 62 years old (M=34.68; SD=6.90). The sample of participants in India reported their age to be between 18 and 76 years old (M=34.46; SD=9.89). The sample of participants in Indonesia reported their age to be between 19 and 80 years old (M=35.62; SD=8.36). The sample of participants in Singapore reported their age to be between 18 and 77 years old (M=38.91; SD=10.97). The sample of participants in Vietnam reported their age to be between 18 and 69 years old (M=33.79; SD=7.86).

 

Participants were sorted into three groups based on their reported income — A.) Middle B.) Middle-Upper and C.) Upper. 

 

The “middle income” range is defined based on the average income within approximately +10% or -10% of each countries’ average income. Consumers in China reporting an income between ¥236,000–¥290,000 are classified as middle income. Consumers in India reporting an income between ₹489,00– ₹598,000 are classified as middle income. Consumers in Indonesia reporting an income between Rp32.4 million–Rp39.7 million are classified as middle income. Consumers in Singapore reporting an income between S$66,300–S$81,000 are classified as middle income. Consumers in Vietnam reporting an income between ₫76.6 million–₫93.6 million are classified as middle income.

 

The “middle-upper income” range is defined as more than the 10% of the average income but less than the threshold of each country’s top 10% of household income. Consumers in China reporting an income between ¥290,001 – ¥377,000 are classified as middle-upper income. Consumers in India reporting an income between ₹598,001 – ₹1,410,999 are classified as middle-upper income. Consumers in Indonesia reporting an income between Rp 39.8 million – Rp 540.9 million are classified as middle-upper income. Consumers in Singapore reporting an income S$ 81,001 – S$ 281,999 are classified as middle-upper income. Consumers in Vietnam reporting an income between ₫93.7 million – ₫740.9 million are classified as middle-upper income.

 

Finally, the top 10% of income segment consists of participants indicating an income that met or exceeded their respective country’s threshold for the top 10% of household income. Consumers in China reporting a household income of ¥377,001 or more; Consumers in India reporting a household income of ₹1,411,000 or more; consumers in Indonesia reporting a household income of Rp540.0 million or more; Consumers in Singapore reporting Rp540.0 million or more; and consumers in Vietnam reporting a household income of ₫741.0 million or more were grouped into this category.